


Paleolinguistics (The Deliberate Word Choice Remix)

by SnorkackCatcher



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-01
Updated: 2011-05-01
Packaged: 2017-10-18 20:53:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/193182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnorkackCatcher/pseuds/SnorkackCatcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Master realised there was something he'd completely overlooked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paleolinguistics (The Deliberate Word Choice Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Paleolinguistics](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25395) by [AstroGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstroGirl/pseuds/AstroGirl). 



The Master realised there was something he'd completely overlooked.

Ever since his return to his true self, he'd sensed nothing from the Time Lords, had known there must have been terrible consequences when the Daleks took the Cruciform. He didn't care to contemplate what it might mean. The thought was locked away in a deep dark corner of his mind to bring out when he saw the Doctor again, at a time when he could demand answers.

When his old enemy spoke to him on Martha Jones's phone, he replied with the Gallifreyan form of _Doctor_ without thinking. But when the Doctor replied with a cautious _Master_ in the same tongue, it hit him.

The first thing the Doctor had said was "I'm here."

He'd said: _I'm here_.

He'd said it _in English_.

All of a sudden things became clear to the Master, and he marvelled that it hadn't occurred to him immediately. If a Time Lord was speaking another language -- _speaking_ it, _thinking_ in it, using it automatically, not merely letting his TARDIS translate for him -- he must long ago have abandoned the use of his native tongue.

Even the Doctor wouldn't do that if he had anyone left to speak it with. It must be absolutely burning him up. It even twisted his own hearts.

He could hear his voice shake as he replied in careful Gallifreyan -- to ensure the Doctor knew he _understood_ what it must have meant for him to be able to speak even one word of that language again, and to taunt the Doctor with the knowledge. " _I love it when you use my name_."


End file.
